New state prison to be built in German township

Department of General Services Secretary James P. Creedon answers questions from the media during a press conference held at the State Correctional Institution at Fayette Thursday to announce the state's intention of building a new prison in German Township. Joining Creedon at the podium are (from left) state Rep. Bill DeWeese, Corrections Secretary Jeffrey A. Beard Ph.D., Creedon, state Rep. Debra Kuhla and state Rep. Tim Mahoney.

 

LUZERNE TWP. - State and local officials gathered Thursday at the State Correctional Institution at Fayette in Labelle to announce that three sites in German Township are being considered for a new 2,000-bed medium-security state prison. James P. Creedon, secretary of the Department of General Services, which will oversee construction, said evaluations of the sites should be completed by next spring, construction bidding would take place in the fall and the prison, which would house male inmates, would open in 2012.

State Rep. Bill DeWeese, D-Waynesburg, and Department of Corrections Secretary Jeffrey A. Beard said the new prison would create hundreds of construction jobs, hundreds of jobs in the prison and development and economic benefits.